The Realtor's Guide to Instagram

If you're already a social media user, it may not come as a surprise to you that Instagram is one of the most popular social platforms right now. But have you taken that next step and started utilizing Instagram for your real estate business? While you may have already established your presence on Facebook or LinkedIn, don't underestimate the power of Instagram as a means to the same, if not better, end.

There are over 3 million photos tagged with #RealEstate on Instagram currently, and you can bet that number is growing as you read this. So what can you do to take advantage of this? Beyond utilizing Instagram for your own personal sharing platform, Instagram offers a great stage for you to share your listings and go above and beyond what you can do on Facebook or other social media channels.

The image-focused Instagram allows you to showcase photos and videos of your listings and neighborhoods in a space where users can't be overwhelmed by too much text or the confusion of navigating some listings sites.

While Facebook holds steady at the top of the list, Instagram isn't far behind when it comes to how highly engaged it's users are. 59% of Instagram users are scrolling through their feed at least once a day. What does that mean for you? Well to start, it's proof that your captive audience is there and ripe for the picking. It's also a fair assumption that with a push in the right direction, you'll discover a whole new demographic of potential clients starting their home search online and on social media.

In an effort to combat the fear of Instagram, we put together our guide to Instagram for Realtors. With quick tips on how to get started with the program, to what the most effective hashtags are, and even the best time of day to post the pictures of your listings.

The main message? Keep it simple and know thy audience. But isn't that always the way with social media? Take notice of what may be trending, or how you can utilize features such as geo-tagging your location to take advantage of garnering the attention of all those folks using Instagram to find their #DreamHome.